When Size Matters: Meta Knight's Story
by Denizen of Dreamland
Summary: After E3 2018, the Smashers are thrilled because everyone is back, along with all-new friends. However, Meta Knight remains skeptical about a certain newcomer's size… A tale about overcoming prejudices and a parody of the Ridley debate. (Rated T for violence and mention of drugs)
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters in this fan fiction. Mega Man belongs to Capcom, Solid Snake belongs to Konami, and all the others featured here belong to Nintendo and HAL Labs. Also, I don't own Capcom, Konami, Nintendo, or HAL. This story was created solely for entertainment purposes._

* * *

"Watch out!" Samus screamed.

Meta Knight barely dodged the purple blur that rushed right through the stage. He turned around to see Ridley, the infamous, giant, fire-breathing dragon, fluttering on the other side. Meta Knight approached Samus and they both stared up at Ridley. He was going to thank her for the warning, but she spoke first.

"I bet he's now gonna roar." Samus said. "Yeah, he did."

Ridley's roar pierced through Meta Knight's ears into his heart, slicing through like a sword. The following headache and earache that ensued were unbearable. He could have sworn that the echoes would be heard all throughout Subspace for centuries, but, at least, they lingered in his ears. Meta Knight grimaced and shook his head in pain.

Ridley flapped his wings, pushing Meta Knight and Samus back, but the two held their ground. The latter realized that they were slacking, and so, she decided to take action herself. As soon as Ridley stopped flapping, she ran towards him, jumped, and shot at the dragon with her Arm Cannon. Meta Knight, getting the clue, followed her by teleporting himself towards Ridley and slashing him with Galaxia.

Ridley shot himself upward, disappearing from Meta Knight's sight. He looked at Samus, the expert on the topic of Ridley, for an explanation, but she blankly stared at the horizon as if expecting something to happen. Meta Knight was about to speak when Ridley appeared on the distance and flew towards them at high speed.

Meta Knight gasped and stepped back. At the top of his head, he couldn't think of a way to avoid Ridley's seemingly random pattern of flight.

"Meta Knight! Jump!" Samus ordered.

That's how Meta Knight ended up being killed for the fourth time.

When Master Hand brought him back to reality, Meta Knight found himself back in the Research Facility, laying on the floor. Samus, who was sitting next to him, helped him sit up.

" _Maybe_ , you should stop dying already." Samus said.

"Well, maybe _you_ should stop complaining." Meta Knight growled. "And _also_ , you should keep fighting _after_ I die and not _die_ with me. That's plain stupid."

Samus began snickering as a child. Meta Knight was embarrassed that he had taken the comment seriously and began laughing with her.

"It's okay, I don't blame you. I've battled Ridley countless of times before, even once with Pikachu just hours ago. I can almost read his mind. Also, I should've warned you about his next attack earlier." Samus said. "But, being honest, you seemed a little faded out in that battle. As if daydreaming."

He sighed. "I can't stop thinking about what you told me earlier. About your family." Meta Knight said. "It must have been hard to have your planet wiped out by some loud, gigantic, purple lunatic."

Samus gave a weak smile. "Yes, but I try not to get stuck on the past." She hesitated, averting her sight. Then she looked back at Meta Knight. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you about it. Then you'd be more prepared for battling him. … Are you intimidated by him?"

"No! Not at all!" Meta Knight snapped, standing up. Samus was back at treating him like a baby, as she had done for most of the duration of the Great Maze. "I've fought worse battles than this alone and won! Are you implying that I can't deal with Ridley just because I'm _small_ and _cuddly_ and he's _huge_ and _terrifying_?"

Samus shrugged. "Sure. Perhaps you're too-"

"NO, I'm _not_!" Meta Knight said, frowning. He didn't want to break into a fight. Not now and not against Samus, so he aimed to change the topic. "Look, let's be practical. We've died four times to Ridley and we _still_ have got a lot of fights ahead of us. What if we negotiate with him?"

" _Negotiate_ with Ridley?" Samus let out a stifled chuckle, which then became a guffaw. "Is that how you do things in your home planet? What has gotten into you? Negotiate with Ridley… What? Do you want to bribe him with my _life_?" She dropped her smile and became deadly serious. She pointed towards the door that concealed Ridley. " _That_ monster survives off _my_ blood. Human blood. He destroys planets for fun. He wipes out all of the populace. I… I once tried to negotiate with him and the result was a disaster. You know that. And… And it feels like, after I opened up to you about my past with Ridley, _you are simply mocking me_."

Samus stood up and stretched herself out. "Like those who want Ridley to be a Smasher. You should just pick another fighting companion if that's what you think. Let's see _who_ are you going to ask when you have a question about Ridley."

Meta Knight squinted at Samus, deeply offended by her outrageous assumptions, and huffed. "I don't NEED you anyways! I could defeat Ridley ALL on my own if I wanted!"

"Sure." Samus crossed her arms and turned her back towards him. "Being as fluffy and cuddly as you are, I don't doubt it. Oh, and also, _size might be a problem_."

Samus walked away without glancing back. Meta Knight let out a long growl, which then became a scream of rage. He pressed his fists tightly. Then, unconsciously or not, he sliced a few nearby Primids in half to let out his anger on someone.

"SIZE IS NEVER A PROBLEM TO ME!" Meta Knight yelled across the empty Research Facility, producing a metallic echo that resonated for a few minutes. "I'll vanquish that STUPID RIDLEY forever so that I'll never have to see his STUPID FACE EVER AGAIN!"

He breathed rapidly and heavily, fuming at Samus's hurtful comments. The only answer he got was his own undecipherable echo coming back at him. He frowned, sighed, and dropped himself on the cold floor, when a female voice came from the depths of the Facility:

"Oh, just wait for Mecha Ridley and Meta Ridley and Omega Ridley and whatever comes next!"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Hi! I'm Denizen of Dreamland and I want to thank you for reading the first fan fiction I've uploaded to this site. I greatly appreciate it! Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism if you'd like. I'm still getting the hang of things around here, but in case you're interested in reading the rest of the story, I'll be uploading one chapter every week. So, again, thanks for reading!_

 **Edit:** Added disclaimer.


	2. Chapter 1: Too big for his own good

"You're huge."

Meta Knight looked up, as he almost lost sight of the new challenger. A colossal, no, monstrous purple belly stood in front of his face, but he could barely see the dragon's own head, not to mention his eyes. Come to think about it, he didn't know how did Ridley's eyes looked like. He had never cared enough. Well, now it would have been a helpful knowledge to have.

"I can't find another word to describe you." Meta Knight hesitated. "You're still huge."

His mind went blank again. He had never seen a Smasher so big and overwhelming. Even after resizing him to be able to be as fighter, he was as overwhelming as when he was a villain a decade ago. Sure, Meta Knight knew all there was to know about becoming a Smasher after being a villain, or rather, an antagonist. Still, this was a rather large exception. Ridley's size could, as well, put Bowser, Ganondorf, and Donkey Kong to shame. The large purple dragon didn't look down. He just shoved his head from side to side, scanning the place, as if waiting for something to happen. He then let out a low grunt.

From behind, there was a pat on Meta Knight's epaulet. "Psst." Kirby whispered. "Apologize."

Meta Knight cleared his throat. He tried to turn around and be polite with Kirby, but he was paralyzed by the humongous monster in front of him. Eyes fixed on Ridley, he whispered back. "Apologize about what?"

"About his _size_ , you dummy!" Kirby giggled under his breath.

Again, Meta Knight cleared his throat and spoke louder than before. Just in case Ridley couldn't hear from up there. "Err… I'm sorry if you were offended. But you _are_ huge."

Ridley looked down, straight into Meta Knight, and, for the first time, he could see the dragon's bright yellow eyes, gleaming with fury. He stepped back and put his hand on Galaxia instinctively.

Kirby pulled Meta Knight back by grabbing him from his epaulet and spoke, between teeth, as if threatening him. "That's _not_ how you apologize."

Kirby let go of Meta Knight, giving him a push towards the dragon. "Well…" Meta Knight said. "Yeah, I'm still not taking that back. You _are_ immense."

Ridley squinted at Meta Knight and let out a tremendous roar that echoed through the room. Even though he covered his ears in pain, a ringing persisted.

"Alright, alright!" Meta Knight said, shaking his head in an attempt to get rid of the ringing and the pain in his ears. "I'm sorry, okay? Please don't do that ever again."

The ringing stopped and Meta Knight looked up once again to the purple dragon to see if his apology had caused any effect. Instead, Ridley was staring back at him, one eyebrow raised in skepticism.

"Err…" Meta Knight had started with the wrong foot. He had to do something to get on Ridley's good side. But what? Maybe a compliment? Complimenting Dedede had gotten him a piece of the Star Rod, so it should get him somewhere with Ridley too. "From one bat-winged Smasher to another… Nice wings. They are proportionate to your new size, I guess."

Ridley squinted even harder, grunted heavily, and then flew away with two noisy flaps of his wings. Meta Knight scowled and sighed.

"What the-?" Kirby blurted out. "Meta?!"

Meta Knight turned around to find a distressed Kirby looking at him in disbelief.

"First of all, why do you care so much about his size?" Kirby screeched as a madman, shouting as if he was deaf. "Second of all, those are not bat wings! They might look like them but they're not! Third of all, why did you bring that up?!"

"I was trying to be polite." Meta Knight said.

Kirby tilted his head. "Huh? I can't hear you, my ears are ringing!"

"I said," Meta Knight raised his voice and frowned in annoyance. "I was trying to be polite."

A crash and a crack came from the hallway. Meta Knight started. It sounded as if wooden planks were being torn apart and debris was falling to the ground, while two women, Peach and Daisy, let out a muffled scream. Mario's voice began speaking loudly, as if complaining, accompanied by Marth's. Between the chaos, there were more grunts by Ridley.

"See? Not even the Smash Mansion is big enough for him." Meta Knight said.

"I'm gonna go check if they're alright!" Kirby yelled. "Bye, Meta!"

Kirby ran towards the hallway where the noise had come from and disappeared behind a wall. Meta Knight kept staring blankly at where the pink puffball had been. He sighed. He couldn't understand why had Ridley been accepted. How did Master Hand think that adding a monster this large was a good idea? Worst of all… this guy was his new roommate?!


	3. Chapter 2: Of lectures and rules

"Over here," Mega Man gestured towards the left side of the room. "you have Meta Knight's shelves, bed, and night table. All those books are his. But I wouldn't advise you to get near them; he hates it when you touch his things."

Each of the rooms in the Smash Mansion was small and simple, but cozy. They were a plain square, with four white walls. In one of the walls, there was a door that led to the hallway; in the wall to its right, there was a bed and a door that led to the bathroom; and the two remaining walls had a bed each. For illumination, there was a single, unsophisticated lamp that hung from the center of the ceiling. Master Hand also provided each of the rooms with one quaint wooden library, which had been entirely claimed by Meta Knight, in this case; a wardrobe, which had to be shared among the inhabitants of the room, but, in this case, only held Meta Knight's capes; and a nightstand with its own lamp, which, you guessed it, had also been hoarded by Meta Knight in this case.

"Please also keep your wings and tail under check." Meta Knight said, sitting on the floor, while he glared at Ridley, who was hunching over himself so that he didn't touch the ceiling. "You… You do not move while sleeping or anything, do you?"

Ridley huffed and turned his back against Meta Knight. Why did he have to get so defensive? It was only a question.

"It's okay, Meta Knight." Mega Man said and he pointed towards the wall that was perpendicular to his own bed. "His bed is all the way over there. I know you have a huge sense of personal space, but let's not worry about that, alright? We're roommates and we must support each other like siblings."

"Hmph." Now it was Meta Knight the one who huffed. "I do not have a huge sense of personal space. I just wish I could be alone and have some privacy like before you two came into the picture. And I am not your sibling. Not even metaphorically."

Ridley shot a questioning look at Mega Man, who was quick to reply. "He's not always this aloof. He is just a little moody today."

"I am _not_ moody." Meta Knight grasped his book and tried to focus on his reading, but he could not get the feeling that there was a giant, purple, fire-breathing dragon in his room out of his head.

"If you say so…" Mega Man said. He continued speaking to Ridley. "Please get comfortable. You are at home now. There is a laundry room where you can wash your clothes and bed sheets if needed, but if you need additional sheets or anything, you can go to Master Hand's office, which is room A1. There is also a laundry service, so if someday you find yourself too busy to go wash your things by yourself, you can always have that. Breakfast starts at seven in the morning, lunch at twelve, and dinner at six. You can have room service too, but, of course, it's priced. Is there anything else you should know I am forgetting?"

"Your sizing pills." Meta Knight said in a hoarse voice. That won him another annoyed stare and a growl from Ridley.

"Thank you, Meta Knight, but I won't go into that because I'm sure Master Hand already briefed Ridley on everything there is to know about that, not to mention that I'm nowhere near an expert in that topic." Mega Man said. He then turned towards Ridley. "The schedule for the day's matches will be posted on the wall of the living room, along with the map of the Mansion, so you will see it each morning while going to have breakfast. Mondays through Fridays. You have the weekends to yourself. Now, I must leave you two because I have a match against Fox McCloud. Once again, welcome to Smash."

Mega Man crafted a small smile, which was a rare event for him. He then walked towards the door, opened it, and closed it behind him. Meta Knight was left alone with Ridley.

Meta Knight closed his book and slowly put it down on the floor besides him. "What I don't understand…" He said, almost in a murmur. "Is how can Mega Man be so all-out and friendly to you after you outright _murdered him in cold blood_. I don't understand."

Ridley didn't react. He just seemed to be looking for something to do, as he had nothing to unpack. Still, he didn't look at Meta Knight and completely ignored him.

"Oh, right. I forgot." Meta Knight muttered, half to himself, half to Ridley. "You're a dragon. You don't speak."

Meta Knight looked down at his book, but he truly couldn't concentrate with such a large monster breathing hot air all throughout the room. He was sweating. He closed the book, motioned as if he was dusting the cover although it had no dust on it, and left it on the floor. Then, he stood up. "Well, if you're going to live here," Meta Knight said. "There are going to be some rules."

"First, you don't touch my things. Never." Meta Knight pointed to his library. "Especially my books. Touch my books and you're dead."

Ridley growled, already hating this list of 'rules'. Yet, Meta Knight had to make clear which of the two was the one who dominated in this room.

"Second, don't make a mess. This room has always been cleaned and organized, thanks to Mega Man and me only, so this room has to remain as clean and orderly as you found it."

"Third, I am _not_ your friend. I am just some guy who got stuck living with you because of Master Hand's method of choosing roommates. And I'd like to keep it that way. So, suffice to say, that means no hugs, no gifts, no emotional moments, and no small talk. Not like you can speak anyways."

"Fourth, no screaming, no shouting, no snoring, no growling, and, in general, no disturbing noises. Above all, no roaring like the one roar you gave earlier. I am almost deaf because of you."

"Fifth, be careful. Don't breathe fire or scratch the walls. Most importantly, always take your sizing pills. And I mean, always." Meta Knight said. "You know, if a room gets destroyed or Master Hand's property gets damaged, all of the Smashers that lived there need to pay. I refuse to pay any price because of you, your carelessness, and your gigantic size."

* * *

 _A/N: Hi! If you're reading this, I'd really appreciate it if you'd drop in a review, a favorite, a follow, a PM, or pretty much anything to let me know that you're reading this story and you're interested in reading more! Hearing from you would greatly motivate me to work harder on this fanfic to deliver better content and upload it sooner, maybe even do a double update in the future._

 _If you're not liking this story much, I'd still appreciate it if you reach out to me. I know my writing is far from perfect, so I'd be very thankful if you'd point out my flaws so that I may improve!_

 _I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading!_


	4. Chapter 3: Limits must be respected

"UNO!" Kirby squeaked, smiling and jumping up. He laughed and pointed at Meta Knight. "Grab two more cards, Mety!"

"But I didn't even lay the card on the pile." Meta Knight said. Still, he didn't fight back and just did what Kirby asked. It was only a game of UNO, after all.

The lounge of the Smash Mansion was a spacious room with a large, soft, patterned rug covering the floor. It was well-lit, had a couple of windows, and had two fans that breathed fresh air into the room. There were a couple of tables and a few shelves, with piles of tabletop games, handheld consoles, movies, and books that the Smashers could borrow to entertain themselves in their free time. Needless to say, the lounge was the usual go-to place for when the Smashers wanted to meet and relax. They'd usually play tabletop or card games in large groups. And that's exactly what they were doing.

Meta Knight laid a yellow three on the pile. The game continued, so it was the turn of the person sitting right next to him on the rug, which was Snake.

"Alright, let's be honest here." Snake said, munching on a cigarette, as he looked at his cards and chose to leave a red number 3 on the center of the circle. "All of us are Brawl veterans. So, between us, what do you think about the latest newcomers?"

"I think Daisy is a neat choice for an echo fighter." Sheik said, her voice muffled by the cloth in her face. "Fans have wanted her for years. Also, we needed more female representation in Smash."

"I'd rather get a female villain." Wolf leaned back on his arm. "Then we'd get more female and more villain representation at once. Like… Medusa or something of the sort. Besides, I don't know about you, but I think echo characters are annoying. Throughout all the duration of the tournament, fans have been bickering about how they hate clones, so echo characters shouldn't be given different treatment. Their presence takes away from the diversity and the originality that make Smash what it is."

"That's ironic coming from you, Wolf." Meta Knight said, without looking away from his cards.

"Master Hand didn't say I was an echo fighter." Wolf said, raising his chin proudly. "Unlike Dark Pit, Lucina or Daisy. Echo characters don't deserve their spots in the roster. Just imagine how would it feel to have an echo character of yourself!"

"I disagree." Kirby said, in a really posh tone, before taking his turn in the game. "I think everyone should be given an opportunity to be in Smash. The more the merrier!"

Wario layed down a Reverse card, winning himself an angry look from Sheik, who was sitting right before Meta Knight. Kirby played once again.

"Guys, you crazy?" Wario said. He was picking on his nose with his fat index finger. "Daisy is just darn hot. I'm always open to receiving hot girl newcomers in here."

"And what about Inkling? What do you guys think about her?" Snake asked.

Kirby shot his hands upward, looked to the ceiling, and closed his eyes, complaining in dismay. "She stole Adeleine's chances of getting into Smash! So unfair!"

"Didn't you just say everyone deserves an opportunity?" Wario snarked.

"Yes, but…" Kirby pouted. "Adeleine does too, right?"

"To be honest, I'd rather have gotten the guy from Arms." Wolf said.

"Or Waluigi." Wario scowled. "I can't say Inkling is hot stuff like Daisy, so there's that."

"Calm down, guys." Sheik said, as she laid down a Wild Card, making Meta Knight grab two more extra cards. "I don't see anything wrong with accepting Inkling into Smash. 'Hotness' is not a quality that should be considered in deciding whether or not a character should be in Smash. That's plain shallow. Besides, fans have been asking for her since the last tournament. As for Adeleine, I understand her moveset is significantly different from Inkling, am I right?"

"Yeah… I guess." Kirby mumbled.

"Sheik is right. But you know who the real big talk is, guys." Snake said, leaning forward and smiling as if he was planning a mischief. "Ridley. What about him?"

"Ridley is cool in my book." Wolf said. "It was about time we got more Metroid characters."

"I agree." Sheik said. "At one point I thought it wasn't possible, but here we are. I'm glad fans got what they wanted, because Smash was made so that everyone can have fun."

"Exactly; I never saw the point of disqualifying him just because of his size!" Kirby smiled, eyes closed. "That's dumb!"

"Oh, wait a minute!" Meta Knight blurted out. "That argument wasn't 'dumb'. The thing doesn't even fit within the Smash Mansion! You know what's dumb? Having a character enter Smash just because people want them, even when it doesn't make any sense. Let's invite Shrek then! Or Goku! Why not? Huh?"

"Your arguments are really pointless." Wolf said calmly, staring at his remaining cards. "Ridley fits all of Master Hand's requirements to be a Smasher, unlike Shrek or Goku. They just don't fit the bill. Ridley, on the other hand, was a highly requested and viable character, which would add to Smash rather than detract from it. And you shouldn't care a lot about size, either-after all, if you were your original size, you would be smaller than my shoe."

Meta Knight started, offended. "I wouldn't! Unless your shoe size is eight inches long!"

"Whoa, chill up, dudes." Wario said. "It's-a not like I wanted Ridley, but let's not get all worked up over it."

"Wolf's right, though." Snake talked to Meta Knight, ignoring Wario. "You take sizing pills. Why can't Ridley do the same?"

Wolf shot Meta Knight an amused glance out of the corner of his eye. "And it's not like your sizing pills hadn't steroids for some time…"

Meta Knight stood up violently, knocking the UNO cards all over the place. "I was NOT taking steroids!"

"Please, let's not get into such sensitive subjects." Sheik pleaded. "Some of us are just trying to enjoy a peaceful game of UNO. Not like we can continue now anyways…"

Ever since Meta Knight's crushing success during the third Smash tournament, which was also his very first tournament, complaints and rumors had arisen amongst the rest of the Smashers. They thought that there must simply have been an explanation for his success. They didn't understand how could a small, cute puffball with a mask and a poor excuse for a sword (compared to, say, Shulk's or Cloud's sword) outmatch even the most powerful of them. He surely must have cheated, or at least that's what they believed. However, to Meta Knight, there was a very simple explanation.

"I was just a really good fighter. I won my way to the top!" Meta Knight yelled. "Can't you get over that?! Just because I was a better fighter than you, it doesn't mean that I must have cheated!"

"Meta Knight! Calm down!" Kirby said, eyes wide open in utter astonishment.

"Really? You were just a really good fighter?" Wolf snarked back. "Well, what if Master Hand just has favoritism?"

"I. Am. NOT. Master Hand's favorite." Meta Knight grunted with clenched teeth. "I worked hard just as anyone else. And I never, but NEVER, used steroids! DEAL WITH IT!"

Meta Knight clenched his fists, frowning and fuming, and growled heavily. He turned his back to the dumbfounded crowd and left without another word.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Hi! If you left a review or pretty much any sign of life on the last chapter, thank you! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far! If you didn't, I guess you're still enjoying the story, because you're reading this. Of course you're not forced to leave a review, but if there's anything you want to tell me, don't be shy. Okay, I'll stop to shamelessly beg from now on. Anyway, thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 4: Eradication of rule 4

"You put up quite a show back there." Mega Man said, as he sat down on his bed. "Everyone found out."

"I know." Meta Knight snuggled up, facing blankly to the wall. "You should have been there. It was quite the spectacle."

After lunch, the Smashers got a break to relax before the matches started again. However, the last thing Mega Man found when he went back to his room was relaxation. Meta Knight was there before him, sulking in his bed. He rarely came to the room during the day, since he always left early in the morning and then returned at night to read a bit and go to sleep, so it was surely a red flag to see him there so early. Meta Knight, of course, didn't want to raise suspicions, but the room was the only peaceful and quiet place where he could cool off. Besides, if Mega Man had already found out about what had happened, then trying to hide it wasn't worth it.

Mega Man silently walked up to Meta Knight and put a hand on his shoulder pad, just for him to shake it off. He knew Mega Man had good intentions, but he just wanted to be left alone.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Meta Knight, but…" Mega Man said. "You should try to keep your anger issues under control."

"Hmph." Meta Knight knew that all too well, but it would be helpful if he knew _how_ to do it. It wasn't the first time Mega Man told him to control himself, but he had never offered him real-life, practical advice that he could actually apply to solve his problem.

"You are not mean or anything." Mega Man explained. "But when you take it upon yourself to do something, most of the times it gets out of hand. Especially when you've got something against someone."

"Hmph." Meta Knight repeated. Mega Man could keep ranting about it for all he cared. He had gone through many lectures since he first arrived to the Smash Mansion, so one more wouldn't hurt.

"If the rumors are true…" Mega Man said, cautious of Meta Knight's reaction. "Then you got angry at Wolf and Snake because they implied you took steroids… again?"

Meta Knight growled and rolled on the bed. "YES! Yes, they did! UGH! I can't stand it anymore! They're so immature! They can't just get over it already?! Jeez! That was over four years ago!"

"So you _did_ take steroids?" Mega Man said with wide-opened, un-blinking eyes.

"What? No!" Meta Knight snarked at him. "I swear I never did." He sighed deeply and lowered his voice to a whisper. "... I embarrassed myself back there, didn't I?"

"Meta Knight…" Mega Man stood besides Meta Knight and looked at him as comprehensively as a robot could. "I know it annoys you that people take away your honor, your pride, and your hard work by saying that you ever took performance-enhancing drugs… But I think that, deep down, they say that because they envy you and your success."

Meta Knight huffed.

"You should relax a bit, Meta Knight, for your own good. You shouldn't pay so much attention to the gossip. If you know that isn't true, why get angry over it? You only end up stressing yourself out over nothing. If you do not control yourself, the gossip will become bigger and stronger, because you're giving them the pleasure of reacting how they want-and expect-you to."

Meta Knight knew that the advice Mega Man was giving him now was honest, concise and, frankly, very sensical, but it was unrealistic. He couldn't see how to apply it. He turned once again towards the wall.

"I appreciate your advice and you _might_ be right to some extent," Meta Knight reluctantly admitted. "But it is impossible to remain calm and collected when they say such insulting things about me."

The door slammed open against the wall, interrupting them. Meta Knight instantly knew who it was. "Speak of the devil!"

Ridley grunted. Meta Knight, however, didn't turn around and kept staring at the wall.

"Meta Knight? We weren't even talking about Ridley!" Mega Man said in exasperation. Even him, who was mature and patient, seemed to be getting tired of Meta Knight's antics.

Ridley began growling under his breath. As Meta Knight spoke, the growling progressively became stronger and louder, as if his anger levels were increasing.

"Well, we _were_." Meta Knight said. "You know why did this whole mess with Snake and Wolf started? Because we were talking about the newcomers, so the topic of Ridley came up, and we began talking about pills and stuff… And you know the rest."

"Please, Meta Knight, cut him some slack!" Mega Man pleaded. "He's new here and he hasn't done any wrong to y-"

Ridley let out a massive roar, the greatest roar he probably ever let out, making the ground shake. Mega Man and Meta Knight started, shut their eyes, and wrapped their arms around their heads, hoping to shut down the terrible noise that soon drenched the entire room. The pictures that were hanging on the wall fell down with the sound of shattering glass, books fell to the floor, and the door shut itself close. Now the ringing and the pain in Meta Knight's ears was even larger than the last time.

When the bellow finally stopped, Meta Knight found that his whole body hurt and his ears felt crushed. "OW! RIDLEY! We HAD agreed on something! It hurts!"

He opened his eyes and uncovered his ears, seeing Ridley in front of the door. He hadn't moved an inch, but he was staring at Meta Knight with a huge frown, showing his teeth as a threat. He didn't hold himself back anymore.

Ridley threw his body onto Meta Knight, grabbing him and sliding him out of the bed, smacking him against the floor and then against the wall on the back. The hit resounded with the clash of metal.

"Ridley, stop!" Mega Man shrieked. "Please! You're going to hurt him!"

On the floor, Meta Knight let out a deep groan and looked down wearily. "So this is it…" He muttered. "If that's the way you'll have it-!"

Meta Knight leaped at Ridley and held him close to his face with his hand, while he hit Ridley in the head with the single claw on his wing. Hit after hit, he pummeled the dragon fiercely without any measure of his strength.

"Guys, please stop!" Mega Man said. "Fighting is forbidden in the rooms! Oh my, we're gonna get into so much trouble…"

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I'm going to go out on vacation soon, so I don't think I'll be able to post anything next week. To make it up to you, the following Monday's will be a double update! Just thought I'd let you know in advance. With nothing else to say, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 5: Rules discarded

Mega Man's words fell on deaf ears, though it wasn't clear to him whether Meta Knight and Ridley had heard him and were just ignoring him or not. The former seemed to perk up at his words, but he and Ridley did anything but stop. On the contrary, they continued hitting and kicking each other with madness. Meta Knight threw Ridley to the ground and began stomping on him, releasing him shortly afterwards. Ridley, in turn, clawed Meta Knight twice and bit him with his fangs. Meta Knight then bent down and, with two quick slashes of Galaxia, he hit Ridley right in the legs. Ridley growled and aimed to hit Meta Knight with his tail, but the latter wrapped himself up in his cape and disappeared.

"There's something good to being small-" Meta Knight's voice said from behind Ridley's back.

Ridley shook his head around in frantic efforts to find him, but when he turned around, Meta Knight had already teleported himself again to the other side.

"-Unlike being big." He added.

He wasn't that lucky, though, because Ridley grabbed him, taking advantage of his opponent being distracted, and hurled him to the air, stabbing him violently with his tail. He repeated the operation for awhile. During a quick opening, Meta Knight teleported himself again, this time appearing right next to Ridley and slashing him with his sword. Ridley grunted with pain and he fought back by striking Meta Knight with his huge, purple wings and repeating it countless times.

Mega Man, who had been standing in a corner, panicking, ran towards Ridley and put his hands together as if he was praying. "Stop! Please! Cut it off!" He pleaded. "You're going to get hurt!"

The pair still paid no mind whatsoever as they continued pummeling each other in fury. They kicked the floor, scratched the walls, and growled at each other so loudly that Mega Man was sure that this situation would attract everyone's attention soon.

"What's going on here?" Pit's voice came from the door, although that didn't stop Ridley from continuing his assault on Meta Knight.

"Shh." Sonic, who no one had realized was watching the fight, chuckled. "Ridley is messing it up _big_ time."

Ridley shot a deadly glare at Sonic, giving Meta Knight a chance to jump forward and kick him in the stomach. Meta Knight then turned around and began slashing his sword in all directions, hitting Ridley everywhere.

"We've gotta do something!" Pit said, turning towards Mega Man. "They need to stop!"

"They won't listen to me!" Mega Man said. "They won't pay attention!"

The three onlookers stood, frozen, not knowing what to do to make the fight stop. It certainly needed an intervention, because it didn't show signs of stopping on its own, but there was nothing they could do. Besides, Mega Man was too busy worrying about the aftermath of this fight. After Pit's arrival, it was just a matter of time before the whole Mansion found out about the skirmish. News spread quickly around the Mansion. Mega Man's worries became a reality soon afterwards, when Captain Falcon, Ganondorf, and Bowser Jr. showed up right outside the open door.

"What are those noises?" Captain Falcon asked.

Bowser Jr., who picked up on the situation sooner than the others, gasped with excitement and began clapping and cheering: _"Fight, fight, fight!"_ Sonic, Captain Falcon, and Ganondorf gradually joined in the chant.

"No! Don't encourage it!" Mega Man screeched. "Oh, no, no, no, this is bad!"

As the chant continued, Meta Knight began running around the room, followed by Ridley, in a dangerous game of tag, which toppled night tables, pillows, books, wallpapers, and a complete library to the ground. Meta Knight jumped with agility over various pieces of furniture, while Ridley clumsily followed him, destroying everything in his path. It wasn't long until Meta Knight attempted to take the fight to the air. He stood on top of the lamp that hung from the ceiling and looked down at his opponent. He spread his wings and said, "Come."

A collective _"Oooohh"_ was heard at the door. A large crowd had already gathered itself at the entrance of the small room, including Smashers like the Ice Climbers, Rosalina and Luma, Wolf, Bowser, Inkling, Toon Link, Bayonetta, and Villager, who were staring at the scene. Murmurs of _'Oh, my!'_ , _'Did he just_ taunt _him?'_ and _'Oh, this fight is just getting started!'_ could be heard.

"Ridley, _you're too slow!_ " Sonic cried out, cupping his hands around his mouth.

The rage effect apparently struck Ridley, for he growled at Sonic with a frown that showed his fangs. He looked up at where Meta Knight was standing, he charged up, and he threw a gust of fire at the floor beneath the lamp. Half of the room was engulfed up by the flames, much to Mega Man's dismay.

"Oohh, now see how you're gonna get down here, you sucker!" Ganondorf voiced for Ridley.

The room was lit up orange and red, with the flames moving up and down, threatening to take down Meta Knight. He was terrified, holding himself from the chain that connected the lamp to the ceiling. There was no way he could come down and dodge the flames. Even if he got to the floor safely, Ridley would be there, ready to attack. Though he was surrounded by the fire, Ridley seemed to be indifferent to it, as he continued to prey for Meta Knight from under the lamp.

"META KNIGHT!" Kirby squeaked, running into the burning room. He spoke loudly so that everyone could listen over the crackling flames. "Get down here IMMEDIATELY!" He turned towards the crowd. "Quick! Samus!" Samus stepped forward. "I'll fly up there and bring Meta Knight, you grab Ridley from the back, alright?" Kirby prepared himself to go, but Samus stopped him.

"WHAT?" She said. "No fair! Why don't _YOU_ hold Ridley while _I_ go pick up Meta Knight?"

"Ridley's YOUR antagonist, not MINE!" Kirby said. "Besides, you can't even FLY!"

"Guys, don't!" Mega Man took Samus and Kirby from their arms and pulled them towards the door. "It's dangerous! Let's not take the risk. This is getting out of hand." He turned towards the audience. "Someone, _please_ go look for Greninja! And Squirtle! Quick!"

"B-But" Pit said. "Squirtle and Greninja are at opposite sides of the Mansion."

" _Well_ , send _someone_ to look for Greninja and someone else to look for Squirtle." Mega Man sighed.

"I'll go for Squirtle!" Sonic said. He rushed out of the room and his voice echoed through the hallways. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest hedgehog _aliiiive_!"

"I'll go for Greninja!" Pit said and he flew away.

Meanwhile, the flames got bigger and bigger, spreading throughout the whole room. Ridley was unfazed by it and he kept standing beneath the lamp, while taunting and threatening to cut Meta Knight into pieces if he ever dared to come down.

Mega Man squinted at the current situation and faced the crowd once again. "Toon Link, you look for Jigglypuff!" He commanded.

"Jigglypuff? What for?"

"JUST DO IT!"

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Hi, I'm back! First of all, I'm really, really sorry for the delay. I've been feeling sick for the last few days, so it took way longer to finish editing and postin_ _g these chapters. I think it also shows in my writing, so I'm sorry if these chapters don't meet your expectations. Still, double update, as promised!_

 _Second, I'm not very good at writing fighting scenes, so this chapter in particular was a bit tricky to write. I think it's too slow-paced for a fight, but that could be my perfectionism speaking, so I hope you like it nonetheless. If you have any feedback, I'd be very thankful if you'd let me know._

 _Third, one of my concerns when writing this story was that Meta Knight, the very protagonist, was too much of an unlikeable character. If you've put up with my characters to this point, thank you. Don't worry, we'll start seeing some character development in the next chapters._

 _Finally, sorry for the rather long author's note. I'll do my best to upload the next chapter in time. As always, thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 6: Asking won't hurt

"You were _amazing_!" Sonic gushed with his hand on Meta Knight's shoulder pad. They were walking side by side through the hallway, passing by rows of rooms and uncomfortable stares from the other Smashers. "I gotta admit, most of the audience was cheering for Ridley, but, trust me, I was rooting for you all along!"

"Yes, I know." Meta Knight said, not at all pleased. "You did more harm than good, actually."

"Erm… yeah. I was going for Ridley." Wolf shrugged, walking on the other side of Meta Knight. "But the fight was still entertaining to watch. Too bad it had such an abrupt end."

It was clear that Wolf had a very welcoming attitude towards Ridley in Smash, although Meta Knight was no longer angry at him just because he supported his opponent. The whole Ridley situation had actually shaken his nerves up and it was worrying him so much that he didn't mind what had happened before with Snake and Wolf.

"Well, the fight was getting _too_ intense." Sonic said.

Meta Knight sighed. He had always been impulsive and he had trouble controlling his emotions, but he typically wasn't the one to participate in actual fights. Of course, he hadn't enjoyed being beat up at all. And he surely didn't want it to happen again. Why couldn't he behave like the wise, collected, and cool-headed knight everyone expected him to be?

"It was embarrassing." Meta Knight said.

"We've got to give it to him; Mega Man played it smart." Sonic said. "He knew that putting out the fire wouldn't be enough for you two kids to stop fighting, so he brought Jigglypuff so that she would put both of you to sleep."

While they were walking, Meta Knight didn't take his eyes off the floor. To say he was ashamed would be an understatement. His world had been turned upside down in just one day. The one fighter he thought would never make it into Smash had arrived, the rest of the Smashers seemed to have sided with the newcomer, and he had picked up a fight with a giant dragon. Worst of all, he didn't feel like himself. He knew it wasn't like him to fight out of the matches. It wasn't even like him to hang out with Sonic and especially Wolf, of all Smashers. Yes, Mega Man was right. This had gone too far.

"It was no fun to wake up in Kirby's stomach, you know." Meta Knight said. He then paused. "I… I behaved like an idiot, didn't I?"

"Err… You were… _Immature_." Sonic said. He was the type of hedgehog to enjoy whatever disruption happened in the Mansion, but he wasn't a liar. Not even when he had been cheering throughout the whole ordeal.

Meta Knight coughed violently, like he would puke his lungs out, and Wolf patted him on the back. Clearly a side effect of breathing in smoke during the fire in the room. "Urgh… I feel terrible."

"I'm not surprised." Wolf said. He stopped and looked around. "Anyways, where are we going?"

"To Master Hand's office." Meta Knight said, clearing his throat. "To request a room change."

Wolf and Sonic shuddered at the idea of going to see Master Hand right after what had happened, because they figured he would be furious no only at them, for encouraging such behavior, but particularly at Meta Knight, so it was better to keep their distance from him. They quickly waved goodbye and left Meta Knight all on his own.

Meta Knight arrived to room A1, Master Hand's office, and knocked twice. There was no reply, so he came in. Inside, he found Crazy Hand sitting behind Master Hand's desk, leaning back lazily with the chair out of place. The papers on the desk were untouched, organized just like Master Hand always left them. On the computer on the desk, some video was running.

"Master's out." Crazy Hand said. "Crazy's in charge for the day. What do you want?"

Meta Knight let out a breath of relief, glad that Master Hand wasn't in. Thankfully, Crazy Hand would not mind or even find out about the fight, so he would spare him the lecture and the punishment. "I would like to request a room change… erm… sir?"

"Wait for Master, kid, he deals with that stuff." He replied carelessly, as he dipped his fingers inside a bag of Doritos that was laying on the desk. He made some munching sounds, as if he was eating, and he dropped crumbs all around the place, but Meta Knight wasn't even sure a huge glove could eat, or have a mouth, for that matter.

"It's urgent! … Err, sir." Meta Knight said.

"If you say so! Lemme just…" Crazy Hand sat up on the chair and, with a few taps of his fingers on the keyboard, paused the video that was running. "So, what's your room?"

"It's B7."

Crazy Hand clicked on the keyboard a few times and whistled, as if making a discovery. "You have problems with Mega Man? I didn't know you didn't get along! This is rich."

"No, the problem is not Mega Man at all." Meta Knight said. "He's been a good roommate. I'm here about… _Ridley_."

"Ah, Ridley and the other newcomers aren't registered yet." Crazy Hand said. "Hmph. I'd never have thought that _Meta_ Knight wouldn't get along with _Meta_ Ridley." Crazy Hand snickered, as if he had said something really smart.

"Just. Ridley." Meta Knight said, in between teeth. "Is it possible to change it or not?"

"Oh, didn't you know? I'm surprised!" Crazy Hand left the computer aside and faced directly towards Meta Knight. "I'm gonna be honest with you, kid. No one has ever gotten a room change from Master. No exceptions. Lemme tell you a story. Good ol' Ganondorf had been sharing room B6 with Captain Falcon since he arrived to Mansion. They didn't have any problems whatsoever, except from being called clones. That is, until Toon Link came and stayed in the room with 'em. Both Ganon and Toony have been requesting a change for ten whole years! And what has Master done? Nothing!" Crazy Hand leaned back on the chair again and rocked himself. "You see, kid. Master has better things to worry about."

Meta Knight huffed and looked at the floor. "I'll still come back once he's back. I need to try."

"Do what you want, kid. For all I care, you could destroy this whole place and build a gas station on top of it. End this madness. Finally." Crazy Hand took something out of the desk's top drawer and extended it towards Meta Knight. "Here. Have a lollipop for your trouble."

"Err… Thanks." Meta Knight said. He reluctantly picked the lemon lollipop, silently promising to never ask the origin of Crazy Hand's name again.

Crazy Hand tapped on the keyboard and resumed the video, which turned out to be that kind of reality show where people have fun watching other people fail and are supposed to laugh at it. "What are you doing still here?" He snapped. "I told you I couldn't do anything about you. Move out, already!"


	8. Chapter 7: No reason at all

"Zan' you, Meta!" Kirby said, with the lemon lollipop in his hand and inside his mouth. "Where doz Mahter Hand keep theez candiez anyway?"

"On the top drawer of his desk." Meta Knight said, sitting on Olimar's empty bed. "It's a thank you and an apology for all the trouble you went through earlier."

"If itz for dah," Kirby took the lollipop out of his mouth. "You should have given it to Mega Man instead. He really got the short end of the stick."

"Hm… Yes, you're right. But I don't think I can bribe him with a lollipop." Meta Knight shrugged. "Look, I wanted to talk to you about Ridley. I don't think I can continue like this for any longer. We argue all the time and it's getting impossible to put up with it. I talked to Crazy Hand about it, but he said there was no chance of getting a room change."

"Pff… Silly Meta Knight!" Kirby giggled. "Master Hand never does a room change. Everyone knows that! You should try to get along with Ridley, that's all!"

"That's easy for you to say." Meta Knight snarked, looking around Kirby's room. There were three beds, each in one wall, just like in his own room, one night table, and a library. "You have for roommates a respectable, responsible swordsman and a quiet, hard-working astronaut. No menacing, giant, fire-breathing dragons, I see."

Kirby waved around his lollipop and rolled his eyes. "Olimar and Marth have their own quirks too, you doofus. You just wouldn't know because you aren't roommates with them." He got the lollipop back in his mouth with a slurp. "Pihmin runnin' everywhehe, foh ezample."

"Yes, I get it. Mega Man also has quirks. But _Ridley_ is a _different_ case." Meta Knight said.

"Mm-hm." Kirby nodded slightly, but he didn't seemed convinced. He didn't take the lollipop out. "Zo, whah annoyh you 'bout Rihley?"

Meta Knight hesitated. He wasn't doubting his hate for Ridley, because if there was something he knew, it was that he _despised_ him. But he hadn't stopped to think about why. "He's… big." He said. "Extremely big. Too big. He also likes to roar very loudly every time you do something he doesn't like. And he _had_ to pick up that _dogfight_ with me, destroying my room in the process! He hates me."

"I knew it." Kirby said, mindlessly, swinging his lollipop around and following it with his eyes. "You feel intimidated by Ridley."

"What?! No! I DO NOT!" Meta Knight snapped, hitting Olimar's night table with his fist.

Kirby didn't flinch. "Yes, you do. You've always felt intimidated by big things. Not always, actually. Only since I was accepted into Smash." The lollipop went back into his mouth.

"Ridley DOESN'T intimidate me." Meta Knight said, breathing deeply and trying to pull himself together. "I almost won that fight against him."

The door opened, creaking, and Marth came in. "Hi, Kirby. And… uh, Meta Knight."

"Marth!" Kirby smiled back. "Can I refer you to rule number 4? Never come in without knocking?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Kirby. I forgot." Marth replied. "May I refer you as well to rule number 2? Don't invite outsiders to the room without your roommates' permission? Especially annex B, which says not to let outsiders sit on your roommate's bed without their permission?"

"Zho inventez that rule 'bout bedz anyway?" Kirby said, lollipop stuffed in his mouth.

"Olimar did." Marth said, walking to the closet and searching for something among all the clothes. "But I'll let it pass, Kirby, because I know you always follow the rules."

"Rules? What rules?" Meta Knight asked, not getting down Olimar's bed.

"When Marth came to the Smash Mansion seventeen years ago or so, we decided to create a list of rules so that we'd get along." Kirby said.

"Since I'm a human hailing from Altea and Kirby is a puffball hailing from Dreamland, we knew our cultures would differ a lot from one another." Marth explained. "To ensure a peaceful coexistence, we arranged a meeting to talk about our preferences and boundaries. We came up with that list of rules, which we amended when Olimar arrived."

"How do you even make it work?" Meta Knight said. "I created a list of rules this morning and Ridley completely ignored them. It's no use trying to negotiate with him."

Kirby laughed. "You can't just create a list of rules and call it a day, chump!" He licked the lollipop noisily and continued. "You can't expect your roomies to follow some rules they didn't agree with in first place. And I bet you haven't _tried_ to negotiate with Ridley. You're always arguing with him! It's like you're trying to prove something to him, or to yourself, or to others. Marth, you're like a walking dictionary. Do you know what 'dogfight' means?"

"Erm…" Marth said, with his finger on his chin, as he kept inspecting the clothes in his wardrobe. "I think it refers to a fight for supremacy or superiority."

"Ooooh, _now_ I get it! Thank you, Marth." Kirby said, rolling on his bed until he found a comfortable position. He faced towards Meta Knight. "See? You used the word 'dogfight' to describe your fight with Ridley today. You're just fighting for supremacy, for power, for superiority, to see who's the leader in the pack, the top dog, the alpha male-"

Meta Knight frowned. "That's a word I used for lack of a better word. It means nothing."

"Shh, don't interrupt when I'm trying to psychoanalyze you." Kirby said. He let out a silly laugh. "It's almost funny, you know. You feel threatened by Ridley, because he's new and you think he's going to replace you. And also because he's big and you're really, truly, pretty small."

"I'M NOT SMALL!" Meta Knight blurted out, jumping out of Olimar's bed and pointing towards Kirby. "What are you insinuating? That I cannot defend myself? That I'm helpless because of my size?! MY SIZE is not the problem here!"

" _Now_ I'm getting to the bottom of the issue!" Kirby said. "You are not threatened by Ridley's size, but by your own! You're just taking your anger out on Ridley because he's the opposite of what you are!"

"OF COURSE NOT!" Meta Knight screeched, clenching his fists. "You're being ridiculous! RIDLEY IS THE PROBLEM, NOT ME! Why can't you understand that?!"

Kirby grew pale and was taken aback, suddenly afraid of how Meta Knight was reacting. Marth stepped in to defend him. "Meta Knight! Calm down! If you're going to begin acting out, then you are leaving this room _immediately_! I'm sorry, Kirby, but after what happened today, I don't want him pulling a stunt like that in here. Meta Knight. Learn to control yourself. There may be a reasoning behind your actions, but that doesn't mean they are correct. So, please, leave. I don't want to argue with you. You can come back once you have regained your composure."

Meta Knight grunted, but he knew Marth was right. He might have come to look for Kirby to vent, but that didn't give him a right to lash out at him. Meta Knight took a deep breath and, without a word, he walked out the room.

* * *

 _ **A/N** : I don't really have much to say here except I'm sorry for the delay. We're reaching the end of this story, with only three more chapters to go! I hope you've been enjoying it so far. Anyways, thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter 8: Concealed motives

"Oh, my." Mega Man sighed with desperation. "This is a disaster."

Ridley's bed, in the center, was completely burnt to the ground. The wallpaper and the floor near it were also burnt, though the darkened tones gradually faded until the original colors were visible again. The corners of both Meta Knight's and Mega Man's bed were slightly blackened, but it was nothing huge.

"I replaced the blankets of our beds, but nothing can be done for yours, Ridley." Mega Man said. "It was completely burnt, down to the mattress. Even the lamp is almost torn apart from the ceiling! Look at how it hangs from one side to the other. And the library… On the floor. All the books are spread around… Are those… pieces of glass?"

Meta Knight and Ridley, who stood in line in front of the door as if they were kids sent to the principal's office, shot a glance at each other. Ridley then looked away hastily as if he could care less.

"Ow…" Mega Man complained again. "What am I going to tell Master Hand…?"

"You? What are _you_ going to tell him?" Meta Knight said. "We all live in this room, you know."

"Yes! Me!" Mega Man turned around, raising his voice at Meta Knight like he had never done before. "Because I'm the only responsible one in this room!"

Meta Knight stepped back, but he couldn't think of a reply. He knew he had been irresponsible. There was no denying that.

"Ridley, where are you going?" Mega Man asked. Ridley was walking towards the door, but he stopped to look at Mega Man. "You're going back to your planet?" Ridley nodded in response. "Well, I don't blame you. Burnt bed or not, if I were you, I wouldn't want to sleep here tonight." Mega Man shot a frown towards Meta Knight.

Ridley headed towards the door with no baggage. "I think you're forgetting something." Meta Knight said. "I don't know… Your sizing pills, maybe."

Ridley let out what sounded like a hoarse sigh and walked back grudgingly. He threw his claws on the night table with a thump, took a moment to gaze at Meta Knight with resentment, and seized the pills. He then left.

"Why are you blaming me for what's happening?" Meta Knight said, turning towards Mega Man. "He started the fight!"

"Yes." Mega Man said sternly, without looking up at Meta Knight. "But he's a newcomer. We were supposed to welcome him with open arms and treat him with respect. We were supposed to make him feel at home."

"I was trying! … At first." Meta Knight said, although he knew that when he had tried to be nice to Ridley, only Kirby was watching, so it was unlikely that Mega Man would know about it.

Mega Man sighed, closing his eyes. "No, Meta Knight, you're right. I shouldn't be placing all the blame on you. Both acted in disappointing and immature ways. I just… thought so much better of you." Mega Man's voice was cracking up a little and then he added under his breath: " _... Worst roommates ever…_ "

That night, Meta Knight squirmed in bed, fidgeting with the pillow and shifting under the sheets. In the darkness, he couldn't figure out why was he finding it so difficult to fall asleep. Well, for starters, his body hurt after the fight with Ridley, and he couldn't help but letting out a dry cough from time to time. Yet, that wasn't what was keeping him awake for the most part. He couldn't stop thinking about what he had done during the day. Kirby dragging him to the door to meet his new roommate, the way he treated Ridley from the very start, the rules he made up, their fight, Kirby's reasoning, Mega Man scolding them…

Meta Knight turned around and plopped the pillow on top of his head. How could Mega Man and the other Smashers accept Ridley like another one of their own? After all, he was a vicious monster that prided himself in his cruelty, invaded planets, and murdered entire colonies, all for fun. Samus had told him all about it during the Subspace Emissary. Meta Knight, with all of his honor and dignity as a knight, couldn't forgive those crimes, right?

Yes, there were enough valid reasons to keep his distance from the dragon. Still, everytime someone asked why did Meta Knight hate Ridley so much, he had to bring up his size. Why? Maybe Kirby and Samus were right? Maybe everyone who had ever doubted Meta Knight was right? Did he feel… intimidated by Ridley?

Meta Knight took the pillow off his head and shifted once again in bed to look at Mega Man tucked in his bed. He couldn't avoid feeling glad that Ridley wasn't there that night. His presence made him uncomfortable, making him feel as if he was under danger at all times. Meta Knight sighed. That was probably it. He did feel threatened by Ridley's size and it had shown from the second he saw him standing on the doorway that morning. He wasn't wrong, though! Ridley could crush him to death in the blink of an eye if he wanted. In fact, if it weren't for the sizing pills Master Hand gave them, he wouldn't have stood a chance in that fight.

Meta Knight shifted and faced the ceiling, breathing in deeply. Who was he kidding? He was terrified of Ridley. Maybe he was even jealous of his size and power and resentful because he had bested him in the Subspace Emissary many times. But now that Ridley was a Smasher, they were supposed to be at the same level. Master Hand always arranged it so that every fight was fair and everyone was capable of winning and losing every now and then, so, since Ridley joined the roster, he and Meta Knight were equals.

But Meta Knight hadn't treated Ridley as if they were equals, hadn't he? If anything, he had treated him as his arch-nemesis. And why? Because he was bigger? Because he was jealous of his size? It would seem like he was trying to prove something to Ridley, or trying to tell him something along the lines of: 'Don't mess with me! I may be small, but I can best you in a battle!". But was that really it? Maybe he was trying to prove something to the rest of the Smashers and everyone who had ever called him 'small', 'cute', or 'cuddly'. Perhaps he was trying to show them his true worth.

Meta Knight fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable. Now he was psychoanalyzing himself. Did it really have to come down to this? Still, he wasn't completely convinced that he had picked up this rivalry with Ridley just because he wanted to prove something to him and to the others. Maybe he wanted to prove something to himself?

What could he possibly want to prove to himself? Meta Knight sighed. Well, he couldn't keep lying to himself and acting as if he didn't know the answer. There was no use in denying it. He knew that he had always felt apprehensive towards things bigger than him. Even more so when Kirby got first accepted into Smash and he realized that there was a world out there much bigger than his own. Why, out of all the worlds that were represented in Smash, Meta Knight's had to be one of the smallest ones? And, of course, he was one of the smaller Smashers, if not for the sizing pills. It was embarrassing. Humiliating. Disappointing.

But, most of all, it had made him feel powerless. He had done everything he could to prove to himself and others that he deserved that spot in the roster and that he was just as capable as everyone else, from striving to be the very best when he first arrived, to… yes, picking up a fight with Ridley. Correction-It was a dogfight.

Maybe he was scared that Ridley was more powerful than him? That everyone would admire the newcomer while leaving him in the shadows? But that was unimportant. What really mattered was that Kirby had been right all along; this wasn't about Ridley's size, but about his own.

Meta Knight sat up in bed and shoved the sheets aside. All of this was a stupid mistake and he had to fix it. It was time to set things straight.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I'm sorry for being late... Again. School hit me harder than I thought it would. Seems like the uploading schedule is not really working for me anymore. Well, here's your chapter! And just in time for the Nintendo Direct! I hope you enjoyed it; I really like writing internal monologues and I hope I did it right. Anyways, thanks for reading!_


	10. Chapter 9: Exploring new horizons

_**A/N:** Hi again! I'm back! I don't like to do author's notes at the beginning of a chapter, but I'll make an exception because I feel I need to address a few things before this chapter._

 _I believe firmly that no fanfic in the Super Smash Bros. archive should contain Magolor, but... Yeah, I couldn't help myself. It was sort of necessary to explain the interdimensional travel. If you don't know who Magolor is, he's some kind of floating alien that debuted in Kirby's Return to Dreamland, where he crashed into Kirby's planet in his ship, the Lor Starcutter. The Lor is a huge flying ship which can literally open rifts in time and space to travel to other dimensions. Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Bandana Waddle Dee helped Magolor repair it in the game, but I won't spoil any further details of the plot, even though it came out in 2011. Just in case._

 _Also, Mother Brain is the leader of the Space Pirates (including Ridley) in the Metroid series. To be honest, I'm not a huge Metroid fan, but I did a bit of research, so I hope I got everything right. And I know she's supposed to be dead, but videogames are full of inconsistencies and she's an Assist Trophy, so... I guess she's alive in the Smashverse. By extension, that must mean Zebes is still a planet._

 _Anyways, that's all you need to know for this chapter. Sorry for the long author's note and enjoy!_

* * *

The journey to Zebes was way shorter than Meta Knight had expected. He had prepared himself for a whole day, or maybe two, of travelling, but he reached the small, orange planet a little after midnight. It was probably because he had hitched a ride in the Lor Starcutter, but it still was an achievement.

"You sure you want me to drop you off here, Meta Knight?" Magolor asked, pushing buttons on his control screen until the ship came to a stop. "This planet is plagued with dangerous monsters lurking around every corner."

Magolor turned around and looked up at Meta Knight. Due to the effects of the sizing pill that Meta Knight had taken before going to bed that night, to him, everything seemed four times smaller. In fact, the first half-an-hour of the trip had consisted of him giving a lengthy explanation about sizing pills, how they work, and why were they used in the Smash Mansion. Magolor still seemed extremely uncomfortable about Meta Knight's current size, even though he was confident and he was never one to get nervous because of others' presence.

"Yes. This is the place." Meta Knight said. "Thanks for the ride, Magolor."

"Sure!" Magolor closed his eyes with an expression that could only be described as a smile. Meta Knight wasn't sure whether he had done him this favor out of kindness or because he still felt guilty about what had happened seven years ago. "I'll come pick you up in an hour? It would be literally impossible to return on your own. Unless you find a hole in spacetime to another dimension, that is."

"Make that fifteen minutes. This won't take long." Meta Knight said.

Magolor happily agreed, saying that fifteen minutes would be long enough for him to explore planets nearby, before making some joke about the Master Crown. Without paying much attention to what he was saying, Meta Knight stepped out of the Lor Starcutter and scanned his surroundings.

Magolor was right. Zebes was a hostile planet. It was full of strange creatures that Meta Knight couldn't recognize, which tried to attack him both left and right with every step he took. However, he held them off, as he rushed past them, since he didn't want to spend more time there than necessary. While fending off monsters, he scolded himself for not being patient and simply waiting for Ridley back in the Mansion.

After a long, exhausting trip through threatening landscapes, impossible platforms, creatures, robots, and pools of lava, Meta Knight arrived to a room made out of metal. The floor was almost completely covered with lava, but it was nothing he couldn't fly over. Somehow, it seemed like this was a room where Ridley would be.

"Who are you?" A hoarse, female voice demanded. "... _What_ are you?"

Meta Knight looked up to see what, at first glance, seemed like an orange brain with spikes on top, a single eyeball, and wires connected to its bottom. It was trapped inside a glass container.

He flew over to the platform that was closest to the thing. "I'm Meta Knight. I come from Planet Popstar."

"Planet Popstar?" The brain croaked, not to Meta Knight but to itself. "The name rings a bell. Is it something we've tried to invade…?"

Meta Knight immediately regretted mentioning his home planet. "I'm here to see Ridley." He said. "Can you tell me where he is?"

"You want to see Ridley?" The brain snarled. "Did... _'she'_ send you here?!"

"You mean Samus?" Meta Knight said, frowning at how the brain had raised its tone of voice. "No. I'm here of my own account. Can you tell me where he is or can you not?"

"I want to know what your purposes are. Do you want to fight us?! It's not like I let blue balls of snot stroll right in and leave with their lives everyday!"

Meta Knight breathed in sharply, taking out Galaxia instinctively. "WHAT? What did you just call me?!"

A familiar roar interrupted Meta Knight and he turned around to see Ridley. He put Galaxia back into the sheath to signal that he came in peace.

"Finally, you're here!" The brain puffed. "Get rid of it."

If Ridley had been big that day in the Smash Mansion, now he was tremendously big; as big as he had been in the Subspace Emissary. Although Meta Knight had felt gigantic before in front of Magolor, his size now paled in comparison to Ridley. It was clear that he hadn't taken his sizing pills. Of course, inside the Smash Mansion, taking his sizing pills was required by Master Hand, but outside of it, it was not necessary.

Meta Knight stepped back, afraid of how Ridley might react. "Can we talk outside?" He said.

Much to the brain's chagrin, Meta Knight and Ridley were soon outside for some privacy. Ridley crossed his arms once they were in another room. He raised his brow at Meta Knight with skepticism, as if expecting a sarcastic or a snide comment.

"Look, I came here _all the way_ from the Smash Mansion _in the middle of the night_ , so stop giving me that look. Jeez, give me a break! You should be grateful!" Meta Knight blurted out, gesturing wildly. Then he stopped in his tracks.

Pausing carefully, he closed his eyes. He could hear Ridley growling under his breath. Reconsidering what he had said, he breathed in and out, reminding himself of what he had come here for. " _That's_ not _how you apologize._ " He muttered to himself.

Meta Knight looked at the floor, not daring to look at Ridley in the eye. "T-that's not what I mean. And that's definitely not what I came here for." He sighed. "W-what I mean is… I'm not good at apologizing."

These words made Ridley perk up, his skeptical expression changing into an interested one. He looked at Meta Knight with curiosity, tilting his head slightly.

"What I mean is, I shouldn't have judged you for your size. Maybe for other things, yes, but not for your size. I've been thinking and I've come to the conclusion that… if I was given an opportunity to be in Smash despite my underwhelmingly small size, then why shouldn't you be given one too? In fact, I… I was jealous of you. And frightened! I felt threatened. I automatically switched on to defensive mode. I began trying to prove my value to you and to myself and to the other Smashers. In truth, it's because I've… always felt bad about my own size! And I'm sorry to vent all of this irrelevant stuff to you, but what I mean is… can we start over?" Meta Knight held his right hand up in a mock oath. "I'll try to be a good roommate this time around."

Ridley stared at Meta Knight, as if considering the proposal. Yet, he seemed to be smiling?

The two of them seemed to be getting somewhere and Ridley was about to answer, but they were interrupted when a swarm of Metroids buzzed into the room. "ACK!" Meta Knight shrieked, as the Metroids began targeting him. He stepped back and reached for Galaxia. "Get off!"

Meta Knight began attacking the Metroids, but Ridley got in the way and pushed Meta Knight aside, throwing him to the floor, and he started defending the Metroids.

"Ridley?!" Meta Knight said. "Whose side are you in?"

Ridley looked at Meta Knight desperately and then at the Metroids, torn apart by his conflicting interests. He then turned towards Meta Knight with a stern, but worried look that could only mean one thing: "Leave."

Meta Knight got the message perfectly and nodded. He stood up, as Ridley distracted the Metroids without hurting them, and took off to the skies, flying out of the building to the atmosphere of the planet, scouring the skies for signs of the Lor Starcutter. He wasn't sure whether Ridley had spared him out of solidarity or because he would certainly be expelled out of the Smash Mansion if he killed him, but, apparently, he would soon get his answer.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I know this chapter is a bit rushed and has a lot of filler, but it's the resolution. Sorry. I hope you liked it despite all the rambling. Besides, last chapter is on the works! Once again, thanks for reading!_

 _Answer to Street Ruffian (Guest): Thanks a lot! I know my characterizations aren't very traditional or even canon, so I'm glad you're enjoying them!_


	11. Epilogue

"Why did I think you had to choose a side?" Meta Knight smirked under his mask, shifting on his bed. "You wouldn't _murder_ me, but you wouldn't betray Mother Brain either."

Ridley let out a couple of hoarse, low roars that sounded somewhat like a chuckle. He was sitting on the new bed that Master Hand had brought for him after he came back from his one-day vacation.

Meta Knight hesitated, before speaking again. "... I'm sorry Mother Brain scolded you for letting me escape. I shouldn't have gone there in first place."

He shifted once again to check Ridley's reaction. The latter only waved his hand, staring mindlessly at the ceiling, which clearly meant: "No problem." However, since Mother Brain was telepathically connected to Ridley and would not let anything escape her, Meta Knight knew that Ridley had probably received more than just a scolding. He was probably brushing it off just because he didn't want to talk about it.

In the last two weeks, Meta Knight had gained an incredible understanding of Ridley. Of course, he still couldn't speak his language, but they were so close he was almost able to read his mind. During the two weeks after they forgave each other, they had realized how much did they truly have in common, which was more than they originally thought.

Even though they had learn to appreciate each other, that didn't mean that they hung around each other all the time. Both Ridley and Meta Knight made new friends around the Smash Mansion. However, when they were together in the room, be it at morning, at night, or during breaks, they felt confident and relaxed despite their previous rivalry. After all, roommates are supposed to get along.

It is also worth noting that both Ridley and Meta Knight had great egos, so they agreed in keeping up the facade of their rivalry. They wanted their newfound friendship to be a secret for themselves. Each time Meta Knight passed by Ridley in the hallways, he would mutter some offensive comment about Ridley's size, while the latter would let out a growl or a roar and threaten him with his claws. It wasn't fooling anyone, though, but they were having fun mocking their rivalry.

"For a moment I was afraid the Metroids would chase after the Lor Starcutter and try to invade Halcandra." Meta Knight said. He then sat up and looked at Ridley. "Just as a friendly reminder, never try to invade Halcandra. Landia is sure to put up a fight. Also, you never know what remaining tricks and gimmicks of The Ancients you will find."

Ridley nodded pensively. Meta Knight was surprisingly casual about the invasion of planets. Of course, Ridley didn't complain.

"Actually, it may be impossible to keep up with the Lor Starcutter. It opens rifts through time and space to travel to places that are very far away. I kinda wish the Halberd could do that sort of thing. It would be wonderful, don't you think?"

Ridley's and Meta Knight's friendship wasn't the only good thing that came out of the ordeal. After twenty five years of nagging by Kirby, ten years of nagging by Master Hand, and four years of nagging by Mega Man, Meta Knight was finally working on his anger issues. It wasn't easy, especially with the likes of Snake and Wolf around. Still, he made an effort to practice tolerance, with varying degrees of success. Despite all his failed attempts, making the effort that was a huge step in the right direction.

Even though Meta Knight had always enjoyed reading, he had found a new use for his books as well. In reading, he found an escape from reality and a healthy activity to channel his feelings. He realized that reading had played a greater part in his well-being than he thought, for it helped him relax and calm down, especially during stressful times. Now that he was working on controlling his feelings, it came very handy.

Meta Knight jumped out of bed and walked over to his library. Ridley, curious as Meta Knight had discovered he was, also got up and stood behind Meta Knight, while the latter passed his hands through the books, caressing their side.

He then began to take books out, one in each hand, putting them in piles in front of Ridley. Two by two, the piles grew faster than Ridley could keep track of. Meta Knight grabbed two books and put them on his claws. "Do you like to read, Ridley? Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? Hardcover or soft-cover? Maybe digital? Romance or sci-fi? Suspense, perhaps? I have a bit of everything. So?" Needless to say, Meta Knight was very passionate about reading.

Meta Knight smiled, while Ridley checked out the two books in his claws. The one he was holding in his left was The Time Machine and the one in his right was The Grand Design. Ridley put down the first book on the floor and looked inside the second book.

"Oh." Meta Knight said. "I thought you'd be interested in science fiction. Personally, I'm more of a fiction fan. But Robin also loves non-fiction, he has a huge collection of books, mostly non-fiction, and he never says no when you ask him to borrow one. So keep that in mind if you're interested."

The door opened and Mega Man came in. He looked at the corner and stopped once he saw Meta Knight and Ridley in the corner surrounded by mountains of books. The three of them froze. Mega Man was staring at them as if he had just seen the end of the world.

"... I was thinking about inviting Kirby, Samus, R.O.B., and Lucas to a board game here, but now I'm having second thoughts about doing it here." Mega Man sheepishly said. "Shouldn't you guys be having dinner?"

"... Yes." Meta Knight stood up and dusted himself off. He carefully walked out of the book fortress. "Ridley, take your _huge_ claws off my books! We talked about this!" He couldn't hold back a snicker.

Ridley did a sound that was something between a snort and a laugh, but he didn't move and continued reading the book.

Mega Man smiled and shook his head. "You two are terrible actors."

"Just play along, Mega Man." Meta Knight said. "For the sake of our pride."

"In all seriousness, I don't know what happened between you, but it's good to see you're finally getting along."

Kirby hopped in from the hallway, interrupting Mega Man and approaching him. "Hey, Megy! Samus had second thoughts about meeting in your room, so now we're meeting in hers! It's room A3. I'm not sure why she wanted to change, probably because of all this mess. It's really crowded in here. Hey Mety, hey Rids!"

"Hi, Kirby." Meta Knight said.

"It _is_ very messy." Mega Man said. "Ridley and Meta Knight have been… having another one of their _dogfights_. But they'll pick it up, right?"

"Of course. On my honor as a knight." Meta Knight said. Ridley grunted with annoyance.

"Well. Let's go, Kirby. Bye, guys, don't kill each other while I'm gone, please!" Mega Man waved goodbye, as he walked out with Kirby.

Meta Knight looked at Ridley, who was still sitting on the floor with his nose buried inside his book. "I'm going for dinner. Do you want to borrow that book?"

Ridley looked up, nodded fiercely, and continued reading.

"I didn't expect you to be such an avid reader." Meta Knight said. "Well, then, take your time. But don't skip dinner because of it!"

Meta Knight walked outside the room and closed the door behind him. He breathed out in relief. He was really savoring the peace and he didn't want it to end. Why had he even fought with Ridley in first place? Friendships can really be created as fast as rivalries. He stood there for a moment, enjoying the calm, peace, and quiet, before heading off to meet his friends in the cafeteria.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Don't judge a book by its cover, guys! (Actually, nevermind, scratch that, Ridley is a mindless killer murderer sadist bloodthirsty violent freak that should never be spared)_

 _I hope this epilogue doesn't clash too harshly against the tone of the rest of the story, but I wanted to end this fanfiction in a more positive, light-hearted, slightly humorous tone that represents the theme. I mean, I wouldn't recommend anyone befriending Ridley, but we often judge people based on superficial details (like size, which was the metaphor I used) instead of being open-minded and getting to know them better. I really value tolerance and that's the message I wanted to get across._

 _Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this fanfic and this finale. It was fun to write. Thanks for reading and thanks for the support!_


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